1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products for automated personal video recording.
2. Description of Related Art
In the current art of the personal video recorder (“PVR”), the storage space available upon which to record television shows or other video content (“shows”) is a limited resource. PVRs are relatively expensive and therefore are typically shared by more than one user. The Tivo™ system is an example of such a PVR, and today the Tivo™ system is marketed by the number of hours of video content it can record, typically 20, 30, or 50 hours. In a setting with more than one user, the recording time available on typical PVRs is not configured or controlled by user allocation, which causes problems. One user may use a disproportional share of the storage space available for recording video content, leaving little or none for other users of the recorder. It would be advantageous if there were ways to configure or control storage space to facilitate use by multiple users, allowing for multiple users to share the storage resources collision-free, with little risk of erasing or overwriting someone else's recorded shows.
In addition, it is useful to note that estimates of storage space required for recording a particular show are made in dependence upon an estimated compression level. It would be advantageous, therefore, to have means and methods of administering the risk that an estimate of compression level and therefore an estimate of storage space requirement will be too small. Moreover, although such provisions are substantially lacking in the prior art, it would be advantageous also to provide various ways for users to aggregate their abilities to lend, borrow, and record shows. In addition, although such provisions are substantially lacking in the prior art, it would be advantageous also to provide various ways for users to lend storage space to other users and to groups of users. It would also be useful, particularly when free space for lending is scarce, for users to be able to recover used space so that it could be used in recording additional shows.
Users will operate the PVR controls to control a PVR and to track the operations of a PVR. PVR operations can be so complex, however, that it would be advantageous for users to have improved ways of tracking and controlling PVR operations. It would particularly useful if there were ways for PVRs to utilize means of sending and receiving messages to and from users regarding PVR operations.